Fluenz vs Michel Thomas Language Library
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Fluenz
This app offers a comprehensive language learning experience designed specifically for English speakers. It combines video explanations with interactive exercises and flashcards to help users achieve fluency in languages like Spanish, French, and German. Learn anytime, anywhere with downloadable content and seamless syncing across devices.
- Designed for English speakers
- Video explanations of language concepts
- Interactive reading, writing, and listening workouts
- Flashcards for vocabulary and grammar
- Downloadable lessons and podcasts
- Syncs across mobile and desktop
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FASTEST WAY TO TRULLY SPEAK A NEW LANGUAGE- 3 Reasons Why Fluenz is Worth it: 1. Made for English Speakers The only language learning program anywhere specifically designed for English-speakers. Learn to speak Spanish, French, Italian, Mandarin, German or Portuguese anytime, anywhere. Each lesson has a video explanation of what you will learn, showing your the ins and out of the language you are learning. Then go straight to reading, writing and listening with workouts designed to for the information to stick. Learning a new language is not automatic but with the right tools and with explanations you can get there. 2. Total Approach Videos on streaming platforms and game like language apps are all useful but not enough to reach fluency. To learn a new language you need a fully integrated platform that a) explains the workings of your new language every step of the way in English, b) provides the tips and tricks English-speakers need to speak and understand that new language, and c) connects those explanations directly to extensive workouts and flashcards that take you to fluency. 3. Proven Results Unique among digital programs, Fluenz puts its program to the test every single month with some of the world’s most demanding learners at its face-to-face Immersion program in Mexico City. After ten years, hundreds of thousands of users and several complete upgrades, Fluenz continues to lead in positive reviews, critical acclaim, and the praise of those who are truly serious about learning Spanish. THE APP: Learn on the go with instant syncing, downloadable lessons, podcasts, and flashcards, all within the app. And because sometimes we need a bigger screen, gain automatic access to our full online, or downloadable desktop version as well.
Michel Thomas Language Library
Learn languages naturally through an audio-based method without books or memorization. This app guides you from beginner to confident speaker by actively participating in simulated live lessons, building a solid foundation and speaking in full sentences from the start.
- Audio-based lessons
- No books or memorization required
- Learn from simulated live lessons
- Active participation
- Speak in full sentences from the start
- Learn at your own pace
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*****‘A great app and a wonderful teacher…Best way to learn a language by far’ – Ethicos *****‘His method is just genius! It works so well around a busy life’ – Kim s *****‘I could not believe how quickly I was able to learn a language’ – Laurie 1954 The Michel Thomas Method Languages app makes language learning easy! Go from absolute beginner to confident speaker – all without books, homework or having to memorize anything. The stress-free Michel Thomas Method teaches you a foreign language in weeks, not years. Trial 20 minutes of any language for FREE (no card details required). You’ll stick with it because you’ll love it. HOW TO GET STARTED 1. Choose a language from our website to trial for free, or purchase, and sign up for an account. 2. Download the free Michel Thomas Method App. 3. Sign into the app with your account, download your course and start learning! Ready to move up to the next level? Find your next course on our website and continue learning! THE METHOD THAT WORKS WITH YOUR BRAIN 'What you understand, you know; and what you know, you don't forget.' – Michel Thomas Based on Michel Thomas’s 25 years of extensive research on how the brain best learns and retains information, and perfected over another 25 years of teaching with students, academics, professionals, politicians and Hollywood stars. The highly acclaimed Michel Thomas Method courses provide an accelerated method for foreign language learning that will have you speaking a language in whole sentences right from the start. You will quickly build a solid foundation and gain a deep understanding of the language, and be motivated to carry on due to your phenomenal progress. HOW DO THE COURSES WORK? ‘All stress inhibits true and effective learning’ – Michel Thomas During your course, you will join a Michel Thomas Method teacher and two students in live lessons, learning from both their successes and their mistakes to keep you motivated and involved throughout the course. You, as the learner, become the third student and participate actively in the class. Within the very first hour you will be able to construct simple phrases by listening and thinking out answers for yourself without the pressure of writing, or stress of having to memorize. You will learn at your own pace, pausing and repeating where necessary. Michel Thomas Method courses are the perfect foundation for anyone looking to start their language learning journey, continue their journey, or for those who have failed to learn a language in the past or lack confidence speaking. We offer courses from beginner to high intermediate level. The courses make it easy and convenient to fit language learning into your daily routine in whatever time you have. Let go of the tensions and anxieties traditionally associated with language learning, and enjoy it. WHY IS IT SO EFFECTIVE? You will learn the language naturally, as you learned your own, by listening and speaking, rapidly building your confidence and improving your fluency. The language is broken into essential building blocks which you reconstruct to create sentences, absorbing the vocabulary and grammatical structures almost effortlessly, to say what you want, when you want. You will enjoy the language learning process as it creates real excitement – you’ll speak the language immediately and experience a constant sense of progress through your new understanding. LEARN UP TO 19 LANGUAGES: Arabic (Egyptian) Arabic (MSA) Danish Dutch French German Greek Hindi Irish Italian Japanese Korean Mandarin (Chinese) Norwegian Polish Portuguese Russian Spanish Swedish Join 5 million people who have learned a language with the Michel Thomas Method and achieve your goal to speak a new language today! Any questions? Contact us at support@michelthomas.com Michel Thomas Method® is a registered trademark of Michel Thomas, used by Hodder & Stoughton Limited (a division of Hachette UK) under exclusive license.
Screenshots
Verdict
Fluenz and Michel Thomas Language Library both sit at 4.2 stars, but that hides the real split: 66% of Fluenz's written reviews are positive against 41% of Michel Thomas Language Library's. Fluenz also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Fluenz sells 15 one-off in-app purchases and Michel Thomas Language Library sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Fluenz against 4.2 for Michel Thomas Language Library. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 115 and 156 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 66% of Fluenz's written reviews are positive against 41% of Michel Thomas Language Library's.
Fluenz ships an update every 3 months, Michel Thomas Language Library every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Fluenz | Michel Thomas Language Library |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (115 ratings) | 4.2 (156 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 66.0% of reviews — better | 40.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 115 | 156 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 58 MB | 97 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Fluenz | Hachette UK (Holdings)Limited |
Customer experience
Fluenz
Michel Thomas Language Library
User reviews
Fluenz
From 115 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👨🏫 Excellent teaching methodology and grammar explanations
- 📚 Comprehensive multi-level curriculum with structured progression
- 🎯 Effective learning approach combining reading, writing, and speaking
- ⭐ High-quality instructor-led sessions and personal teaching style
- 🌍 Multiple language options available
Room to improve
- 💰 Expensive upfront cost
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing issues
- 📥 Unreliable offline download functionality
- 🔊 Audio playback problems on some devices
- 🎬 Video playback issues and missing videos
Michel Thomas Language Library
From 156 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🧠 Excellent language learning methodology
- 🎯 Effective speaking-focused approach
- 📱 Convenient offline access to lessons
- ⏱️ Flexible short lesson format
- 🚗 Great for learning while driving
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing
- ⏸️ Play/pause button unreliable
- 💰 High pricing compared to competitors
- 🔐 Account access and login issues
- 📉 Poor customer support responsiveness
Bugs and requests
Fluenz
Reported bugs
16 issues- App crashes on startup or during lessons
- Audio not working or playing at very low volume
- Video playback failures or incomplete playback
- Downloaded lessons become corrupted or unplayable
- Text wrapping issues preventing sentence visibility
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- App freezes when typing long sentences
- Lessons don't resume from where user left off
- Voice recording playback not functioning
- Subtitles displaying in wrong language
- Match the phrases section showing empty boxes
- Images disappearing in downloaded lessons
- App incompatible with certain iOS versions
- Login authentication failures
- Device limit errors preventing access
- Support links returning 404 errors
- Sync issues across multiple devices
Requested features
14 requests- Shorter, more modular lessons
- Better offline download reliability
- Mac/MacBook Pro compatibility
- More language options (Japanese, Russian, Arabic)
- Additional Spanish levels beyond 5
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- Focus on everyday/non-travel vocabulary
- Ability to jump to specific lesson sections
- Pronunciation evaluation feedback
- Slower playback speed option
- In-app error reporting system
- Progress percentage tracking by question
- Accent mark highlighting in exercises
- Better iPad app functionality
- Clear purchasing guidance for extra lessons
Michel Thomas Language Library
Reported bugs
16 issues- App crashes on login
- App crashes when opening audio files
- Pause/play button unresponsive when phone locked
- Pause button skips back 30 seconds
- Progress bar out of sync with audio
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- Audio tracks fail to play despite downloading
- Auto-play between tracks not working
- App minimizes unexpectedly
- Incompatibility with iOS 13+ updates
- Sign-up button non-functional on iPad
- Downloaded content shows 'coming soon' indefinitely
- Purchased courses inaccessible after app updates
- Device limit restrictions blocking legitimate users
- App blocks access after multiple reinstalls
- Slow loading screens for simple operations
- Inconsistent play/pause icon display
Requested features
11 requests- Bookmark/progress saving functionality
- Lesson completion tracking
- Better pause/play button responsiveness
- Improved UI design with larger control buttons
- MP3 file access for external players
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- Subscription option for all courses
- Spaced repetition reminders
- Real-time speaking feedback
- Consistent track numbering with PDF booklets
- Better integration with lock screen controls
- Dark mode option
In-app purchases
Fluenz
- French Upgraded 1$179.99
- Italian 1$179.99
- Spanish Upgraded LA 1$179.99
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- Mandarin Upgraded 1+2+3$299.99
- French Upgraded 1+2+3$299.99
- Italian 1+2+3$299.99
- Portuguese 1+2+3$299.99
- German 1+2+3$299.99
- Spanish Spain 1+2+3$299.99
- French Upgraded 1+2+3+4+5$349.99
- German 1+2+3+4+5$349.99
- Italian 1+2+3+4+5$349.99
- Spanish Spain 1+2+3+4+5$349.99
- Spanish Upgraded LA 1+2+3+4+5$349.99
- Portuguese 1+2+3+4+5$349.99
Michel Thomas Language Library
- Pack of 11 Credits$10.99
- Pack of 12 Credits$11.99
- Pack of 90 Credits$89.99
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- Pack of 100 Credits$99.99
Questions
Is Fluenz free?
Is Michel Thomas Language Library free?
Which has better reviews, Fluenz or Michel Thomas Language Library?
Do Fluenz or Michel Thomas Language Library have ads?
Which is updated more often, Fluenz or Michel Thomas Language Library?
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